Juwan Johnson (born September 13, 1996) is an American professional
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
tight end
The tight end (TE) is an offense (sports), offensive position in American football, arena football, and Canadian football. It is a hybrid that combines the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a receiver (football), receiv ...
for the
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. Since 1975, the team ...
of the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...
(NFL). He played
college football
College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...
for the
Penn State Nittany Lions and
Oregon Ducks
The Oregon Ducks are the College sports in the United States, intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Oregon, located in Eugene, Oregon, Eugene. The Ducks compete at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCA ...
and signed with the Saints as an undrafted free agent in 2020.
Early life
Born in
Stratford, New Jersey
Stratford is a borough in Camden County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 6,981, a decrease of 59 (−0.8%) from the 2010 census count of 7,040, which in turn reflected a decli ...
, Johnson was raised in
Glassboro, New Jersey
Glassboro is a Borough (New Jersey), borough within Gloucester County, New Jersey, Gloucester County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, within the Philadelphia metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 2 ...
and played
prep football at
Glassboro High School.
College career
Johnson played
college football
College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...
at
Penn State #Redirect Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with ca ...
from 2015 to 2018 before transferring to
Oregon
Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...
for his senior year.
Professional career
Johnson signed with the
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. Since 1975, the team ...
as an
undrafted free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...
following the
2020 NFL draft
The 2020 NFL draft was the 85th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible players for the 2020 NFL season. The first round was held on April 23, followed by the second and third rounds on April 24. The ...
on April 27, 2020. He was waived during final roster cuts on September 5, 2020, and signed to the team's
practice squad
In gridiron football, the practice squad, also called the taxi squad or practice roster, is a group of players signed by a team but not part of their main roster. They serve as extra players during the team's practices, often as part of the scou ...
the next day. He was elevated to the active roster on October 24, October 31, December 5, and December 12 for the team's weeks 7, 8, 13, and 14 games against the
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The t ...
,
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...
,
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The Falcons were founded o ...
, and
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...
, and reverted to the practice squad after each game. He was signed to the active roster on December 19.
Johnson played in 14 games (starting 2) for New Orleans in 2021, accumulating 159 yards and 4 touchdowns on 13 receptions. In 2022, Johnson played in 16 games for the Saints, hauling in 42 receptions for 508 yards and a career–high (and team–high) 7 touchdowns.
On March 11, 2023, Johnson signed a two-year contract extension with the Saints. He played in 13 games (starting 11) for the Saints in 2023, recording 37 receptions for 368 yards and 4 touchdowns.
On June 13, 2024, it was announced that Johnson would undergo foot surgery, causing him to be questionable for the start of the
regular season
In an organized sports league, a typical season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session: for example, in Major League Baseball the season lasts approximately from the last week of March to the last week of S ...
.
On March 12, 2025, Johnson signed a three-year, $30.75 million contract extension with the Saints.
NFL career statistics
Regular season
Personal life
Johnson is a
Christian
A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...
. He is married to Chanen Johnson. They have two daughters.
References
External links
New Orleans Saints bioOregon Ducks bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Juwan
1996 births
Living people
Glassboro High School alumni
Sportspeople from Glassboro, New Jersey
People from Stratford, New Jersey
Players of American football from Camden County, New Jersey
American football tight ends
American football wide receivers
Penn State Nittany Lions football players
Oregon Ducks football players
New Orleans Saints players
Players of American football from Gloucester County, New Jersey